In commonly assigned, copending patent application Ser. No. 08/115,433, labels are applied onto small cylindrical articles such as dry cell batteries. A label transport drum has a central, preferably horizontal axis, and is rotated about its axis. A label feed mechanism feeds the label to the surface of the drum and the label is retained to the drum surface as the drum rotates. Adhesive is placed onto the leading edge of the label and a solvent is applied onto the trailing edge of the label as the drum rotates and moves labels past respective adhesive and solvent application stations.
Small cylindrical articles, such as the dry cell batteries, are conveyed onto the drum and into rotative engagement with the label as the label moves into an article wrapping position. In one aspect of the disclosed invention, during article delivery, an attractive force is imparted against the article to aid in smooth, tangential delivery of tile article onto the label transport drum. If the articles are magnetically attractive dry cells, a magnet is spaced outward from the label transport drum on the article delivery mechanism for imparting magnetic forces on the article in a direction away from the label transport drum to aid in smooth, tangential delivery of articles onto the drum surface and into engagement with the label positioned at the article wrapping position.
The solvent-seal bond imparted by the trailing edge solvent seals the label in confining relation to the article after wrapping. The label can then be heat shrunk about the article.
It has been found that it would be desirable if pressure were applied onto the seam and then maintained for a brief period of time as the drum continued its rotation. This pressure dwell time, when pressure is applied onto the seam, would allow any solvent or other adhesive a greater amount of time to react with the label to provide a higher quality and stronger bond.